Merchandise sign



July'13, 1937- 4r-:. R. ERICKSON MERCHANDISE SIGN Filed Oct. 15, 1936 8 7 I 3 6 2 l l 2 2 2 5|. 2 2

Patented July 13, 1937 barren sTArss Zittt rarest certes 'i MERCHANDISE SIGN Ernest R. Erickson, Des Moines, Iowa, assigner to C. E. Erickson Company, Incorporated, Des Moines, Iowa, acerporation of Iowa Application October l5, 1936, Serial No. 105,702

, a sign, which. is especially adapted for use With bread racks or the like.

Bread racks are sometimes given away by Wholesale bakery companies. The manufacturer of the racks nds it ofl advantage to have a sign so constructed that it may be used for advertising different kinds or makes oi bread.

It is therefore my purpose to provide such a sign having a detachable portion, so that a standard sign can be manufactured for bread racks or the like and can be adapted for different makes of bread by the useof a slip-in member on which different matter may be placed for printing or otherwise.

Still another object is to provide a novel form in which such a sign may be made ofsheet metal, in such mannerthat detachable members `may be displayed on both sides and that other advertising matter may be formed on both sides by die stamping or the like.

Another object is to provide a sign made of a pair of sheets suitably connected together, combined with a support of novel structure, the support and the sign sheets having coasting parts, whereby they may be conveniently and properly 30 assembled for operative Connection.

With these and other objectsin View, my in,- vention consists in tlieconstruction, arrange--y ment and combination of the Various parts of my merchandise sign, whereby the objects contemforth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of a sign embody-Y ing my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view of the same taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail, sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l, illustrating a part of one side of the sign.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of one of the sign members taken from the inside; and

Figure 5 is a horizontal, detail, sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 1. 50 In the accompanying drawing, I have used the reference numeral it to indicate generally an upright support, which preferably is in the form of a tube. This tube is externally screw-threaded as at li at its lower end to`cooperate with the corresponding screw-threads in a base plate plated are attained; as hereinafter more fully VsetV (Cl. 40e-125) l2, which may be fastened to a bread rack or any other ultimate support. m j

At the upper end of the tubular support it, I

provide a couple of parallel iiat plates i3, the loW- er ends of which are pressed into semi-cylindrical portions iii to be pressed into the upper end of the support iii and tightly gripped thereby.

The plates i3 have holes to receive rivets whereby the sign members may be fastened to and sup`- ported on the plates. K'

I provide a pair of sign `members l5 and iii. They are mating members and form the two sides of the sign. They are preferably stamped out oi sheet metal, in whatever general Youtline may The flanges I8 and i9 at the lower central parts of the sign members l5 and l5 terminate short of the median vertical lines of such membersto leave room for the insertion of the plates i3 between the members i5 and It as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 5. n

The members l5 and livare fastened together by suitable rivets 2li. Certain of these rivets 20 extend through the plates i3 as illustrated for example in Figures 2 and 5.

On the front face oi" each member l5' and i6 preferably near the upper part thereof are arranged parallel ribs 2i and 22. The rib 2l of each member l5, It aligns and forms a continuation, as it were, of certain portions of the rib il, as clearly shown in Figure 1. Those portions of the rib il forming aligned extensions of the rib El are provided with short tongues 23, which eX- tend downwardly and the rib 2l is provided with a similar tongue, indicated at 2li. The rib 22 is provided with opposite upwardly extending tongues 25. Y

I provide strips 26 made of sheet metal with a little resilience. On these strips is painted or stamped any advertising matter or the like 2l, which the user of the sign may Want.

Thus in the illustration, there is marked on the strip 26, the price of bread.

It is obvious that the brand or trade-mark or makers name might be used on the strips 25.

By bending the strips 26 slightly, they may be made to clear the upright portions of the ribs l1 at the ends of the rib 22, and above that rib, and may be slipped under the tongues 23, 24, 25 as illustrated for instance in Figure 1.

The length of the strip 26 is such that it can t under the tongues 23, 24, 25 between the rib 22 and the ribs 24 and the horizontal parts of the rib il which align with the rib 24. Like- Wise this strip 2E can fit between the upright parts of the rib Il at the ends of the strip 26, when such strip is properly and completely assembled. Thus when assembled, the strip 26 will be held in place in a sort of frame. It can be readily removed by inserting some instrument under its end and spring the end away from the sign member enough to allow the end of the strip 26 to be seized with the fingers or with a tool.

I iind this a Very eiicient and satisfactory structure for providing changeable sign strips.

In the present sign, a considerable number of advantages are to be found. By making the members I5 and I6 of sheet metal and in coacting pairs as shown, it is easy to stamp the desired legends on the two members, so that none of the letters or legends will appear to be backward.

Each member I5, I6 can be enameled on its front face to make a very attractive sign.

The arrangement whereby the flanges I8, i9 overlap can be changed if desired, and the flanges can be made a little narrow and arranged so as to align with each other.

That portion of the sign comprised of the members I5-I6 and the plates I 3 can be completed and assembled together and conveniently stored or shipped. The lower portions of the plates I3 can be assembled in the upper ends of the tubular support I0, in such a Way as to practically fasten the parts together permanently or in such a way as to permit the convenient removal of the lower ends of the plates I3, just according to the desire of the manufacturer or user.

The ribs which form the frames for the strip 26 not only function to frame that strip, but also as reinforcing means for the sign member of which they are a part.

Of course, it is obvious that in addition to the interchangeable sign member 26, each sign may have such insignia 29 as the manufacturer may desire to put on the sign.

Mine is a sign which combines a satisfactory arrangement for the advertiser with a structure that is very convenient for the manufacturer. The user has the advantage oi a sign which can. be provided with readily interchangeable parts for advertising different kinds of merchandise or merchandise of different manufacturers, and so on, and at the same time, the manufacture of the whole sign can make the greater part of the sign standard.

The whole sign may be made of sheet metal, which can be very rapidly and inexpensively stamped from the raw metal by the use of proper dies.

It will be seen from the foregoing that some changes may be made in the details of construction which have been illustrated, and it is my purpose to cover by my claims any modifications in structure, parts or arrangement, Which may be reasonably included within the scope of such claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a sign, a pair of coacting members, each comprising a metal plate having a peripheral flange, means for fastening the said sign members together to form a hollow casing, said sign members having parallel ribs in their outer surfaces and vertical ribs at the ends of said parallel ribs to form frames for interchangeable members, said ribs having projecting sign strip holding tongues and an interchangeable sign eleo ment for each such frame, comprising a somewhat resilient member bearing advertising insignia and adapted to be sprung under said tongues and fit in said frames.

2. In a sign, a pair of sheet-like sign members, secured together back to back in slightly spaced assembly, each member having projecting ribs forming a frame, certain of said ribs being oppositely arranged and provided with tongues overlying the member and spaced therefrom Within the frame, and a somewhat resilient strip adapted to carry advertising insignia adapted to be sprung to clear a portion of the rib frame and to be slid under said tongues and held thereby in each frame.

3. In a sign, a pair of coacting members, each comprising a metal plate having a peripheral flange, means for fastening the said plate members together to form a hollow casing, one of said plate members having parallel ribs in its outer surface and vertical ribs at the ends of said parallel ribs, said ribs forming a frame for an advertising member, opposite ones of said ribs having projecting advertising member holding tongues, and an advertising member for such frame, comprising a somewhat resilient element adapted to bear advertising insignia andato be sprung under said tongues with a sliding movement and to fit in said frame.

ERNEST R.. ERICKSON. 

